The pros address your biggest aging concerns, tell us what's hot and what's not, and offer a glimpse of what the future might bring.

WebMD Feature Archive

The Future of (Anti) Aging

Sagging continued...

At the Doctor's Office: "If you look at young faces, they're not tight and pulled; they're round and full," says Bank. So dermatologists are plumping up skin by injecting fillers like Radiesse, made of calcium-based microspheres, into cheeks and between the nose and mouth. Also making waves: radio-frequency technology such as Thermage, which stimulates collagen production head to toe, creating a tightening effect on skin's surface. Good news: Thermage is a onetime treatment with zero downtime. You won't see results until four to six months later, but those results can last two or three years.

Future Think: Uplifting news: Dermatologists say we'll see fillers with thicker consistencies, better for creating volume. Coming soon to the United States: Restylane SubQ and Voluma, two thicker fillers currently used in Europe.

Age Spots

Old Think: Out, out, damned spot! Hydroquinone (HQ), a topical skin whitener, has been center stage for the last 50 years. But it's not without controversy: Some women with darker skin tones find that the ingredient actually darkens their skin, and most recently, the FDA listed HQ as a possible carcinogen.

At the Doctor's Office: Lasers target the pigment within the spot, making it scab up and eventually disappear (scarring is uncommon).

Future Think: "My wish is that everyone would wear sunscreen religiously so they wouldn't get brown spots to begin with," says Bank. As for those existing spots: "I'm hoping for a laser that works instantaneously, so you won't have to go through any scabbing," he says.

Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Old Think: When acne medication Retin-A hit the market in the 1980s, doctors started noticing an unexpected side effect: fewer wrinkles. Since then, retinoids (derivatives of vitamin A) have been a top choice in fighting lines and wrinkles. Unfortunately, accompanying irritation and dryness makes it a tough topical to stick with.